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From the Berean Call Newsletter
written by T. A. McMahon
As was noted in part one of this series, prophecy is a very important ingredient in the Bible. In a general sense, the entire Bible is prophecy because God has given mankind His words through His prophets. It is also God foretelling what will take place in the future. That forecasting is what God presents to set Himself apart from the false gods that mankind is deceived into worshiping. God alone knows the future events, which He has declared hundreds and even thousands of years before they take place. Moreover, His foreknowledge of such events, revealed in more than a quarter of the Scriptures, is proof of the supernatural origin and nature of the Bible – that it is indeed God’s communication to mankind (Isaiah 42:9; 46:9-10; 48:5).
Prophecy is often a warning regarding what lies ahead so that believers can discern the times and take appropriate action. This gives unbelievers the opportunity to repent in order to avoid God’s judgment. Noah, a preacher of righteousness, was told by God that He would destroy everything that lived upon the earth by a flood (which didn’t come until about 120 years later) and that He would save Noah and his family; He told Abram that his descendants would remove the Canaanites from their land because of their wickedness, an event that took place four centuries later; Joseph was able to interpret the dream of Pharaoh warning of the famine to come upon Egypt in seven years, and then he was given a plan to keep the Egyptians from potential starvation; Jonah warned the Ninevites of God’s impending judgment unless they repented, which they did. Yet most of the Old Testament prophecies from Genesis 3:15 through Malachi 3:1 anticipated the first coming of Israel’s Messiah and have been fulfilled perfectly by Jesus Christ.
Prophecies in the New Testament primarily address events associated with the time period of the Second Coming of our Lord. Matthew 24 begins with Jesus characterizing that time with a warning of great deception, including false christs, false prophets, and lying signs and wonders. It then foretells “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (vv. 21-22). The book of Revelation supplies some of the Tribulation details as God pours out His wrath in judgment upon the earth. There will be a conquering army of the Antichrist, world war, worldwide famine, the death of half of the world’s inhabitants (Revelation 6:8, 9:15), the massive martyrdom of believers, worldwide physical catastrophes involving mountains moved out of their places, and mankind trying to hide itself from God’s judgment. Of those who turn to Christ and are martyred for their faith during the Great Tribulation, Scripture tells us, “the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17).
So there is good news and bad news in biblical prophecy. The best of the good news was the first coming of Jesus in order to pay the full penalty for our sins and to reconcile us to God by our faith in Him alone. Having received the gift of eternal life, the next best prophetic good news for a believer is the first phase of Christ’s Second Coming, known as the Rapture. The Apostle Paul refers to that event as the believer’s “blessed hope,” which we are to anticipate with joy because Jesus is returning to take us, the bride of Christ, to Heaven for a wedding: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). “For our [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God” (Revelation 19:9). That is indeed good news.
Sadly, when a professing or true Christian sets a date for the Rapture to take place, an act that is contrary to what the Bible teaches (Matthew 24:36, 44; Mark 13:32; 1 Timothy 6:14-15), and that event fails to happen, people grow disillusioned and the good news becomes bad news. In some cases, the date setting arises out of a sincere desire for Christ to return for His bride. At other times, it comes from the pride of having an alleged insight into a biblical interpretation that no one has discovered before. Although both predictions may be sincere, they are sincerely wrong and have caused physical and/or spiritual problems among those who believed their erroneous teachings.
No matter who brings the false teachings, some experience disastrous consequences from them. In the 1980s, millions believed the calculations of former NASA scientist Edgar Whisenant regarding Christ’s return through his booklet 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988 and his other misfires in 1989, 1993, and 1994. Also in the ’80s, Southwest Radio Church published Apocalyptic Signs in the Heavens, which saw catastrophic consequences for the earth due to the “Jupiter Effect,” a planetary alignment that would purportedly alter our solar system. Just prior to that, Southwest Radio’s David Webber and Noah Hutchings co-authored Is This the Last Century? published by Thomas Nelson. Based in part on Hal Lindsey’s calculation that the Rapture would take place in 1981, they concluded that the seven-year Great Tribulation would begin soon after.
Although many conservative Christians considered the “rapture and doom” prognosticators to be sensationalists, attitudes changed as the turn of the century drew near. The increasing talk of a worldwide computer meltdown was too much for many Christians to brush off, especially when Y2K concerns were being raised by respected evangelicals such as James Dobson, Gary North, Jerry Falwell, Jack Van Impe, Chuck Missler, and many others. The year 2000 made its debut in grand fashion when the world, rather than hunkering down, began celebrating the new century with spectacular fireworks. On the other hand, many of those who were misled by church leaders suffered “survival” consequences: losses from selling their homes, quitting their jobs, and relocating to the country, along with the expenditure of large amounts of money for stockpiles of survival food, firearms, generators, and other survival equipment. Many were overtaken by fear, and some succumbed to suicide over their financial losses.
Fast-forward to 2012 and the Mayan Calendar scare, another “prophesied” end-of-the-world apocalyptic nightmare that turned out to be wrong. Fear is often the response of those who have no hope, not having put their trust in Jesus, the only One who can make us eternally secure. Sadly, even many of those who claim to have a personal relationship with Christ by faith alone demonstrate by their actions that their trust is elsewhere.
Of course, we are not saying that we shouldn’t be prudent in making preparations for potential disasters whether they are natural, technological, or financial. Having a one- or two-week supply of food and water on hand could be very helpful, especially if one lives in an area that is prone to weather-related catastrophes. A reasonable amount of accessible cash may also be practical. In most cases, however, to go much beyond this may lead to a self-oriented “survivalist” mentality, which is at odds with the examples and instructions of the Word of God. Stockpiling food or turning to gold for survival could create an attitude of selfishness, especially when others in the disaster are without and in great need. To share, or not to share, that is the biblical question. Does one protect his goods at all cost? Scripture tells us, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:21). Who would deny that they would want someone to share their food with them if they and their families were hungry? Furthermore, the Bible tells us how we are to treat our neighbors and even our enemies: “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink” (Romans 12:20).
Believers need to think such things through in the light of Scripture, particularly since our days are loaded with fearmongering false prophets and some “survival food” con men preaching certain doom. The latest to conjure up forthcoming dark clouds on the horizon are those who promote the teaching that there may well be a combination of two prophetic events taking place in the year 2015 that could result in unprecedented physical cataclysms and financial crashes. The use of italics for “may well be” and “could” is given to note that those purveyors of disasters have used such language in order to cover themselves from being accused of false prophecy. Even so, those “disclaimer” terms are lost in the hyperbole of their fear mongering.
The two leaders in this alleged confluence of biblical tribulations are Jonathan Cahn (The Mystery of Shemitah) and Mark Biltz (The Blood Moons). They are supported by a cast of false teachers and sensationalists and their associated organizations that include Jim Bakker, Sid Roth, John Hagee, Pat Robertson of the 700 Club, and Joseph Farah of WorldNetDaily, to name but a few.
What then of the biblical significance of the so-called mystery of shemitah and blood moons? There is none in the context in which Cahn and Biltz present them. Cahn promotes shemitah as a universal principle that applies to all nations and “their financial and economic realms.” No. Shemitah was given exclusively to Israel as a blessing should God’s chosen people follow His commandment. It involved obeying the seventh day of the week as a day of rest and every seventh year as a year of rest. God promised to make provision on the sixth day and year to supply the Israelites’ needs during their day/year of rest. Also, during the seventh year there was to be a “release” of all the debts of the Israelites. Jonathan Cahn further compounds the central error that he taught in his book The Harbinger by applying a law of God to America – a law that applies only to God’s exclusive covenant people: the Jews. This is false prophecy in the sense that it seriously misrepresents the Scriptures. Cahn is heavily promoted by WorldNetDaily, which heralds him as a modern-day prophet and revealer of “The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future.” Joseph Farah, WorldNetDaily’s chief, is the producer of Cahn’s documentary Isaiah 9:10 Judgment, and the website is a chief supporter of Cahn’s books.
The blood moons teaching of Mark Biltz is also false prophecy because, as with Cahn’s abuse of Scripture, Biltz forces the biblical term into his own agenda. The Bible clearly applies the conditions and the consequences of a blood moon (singular) to the seven-year Tribulation period: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken” (Matthew 24:29); “I beheld when he had broken the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth” (Revelation 6:12-13). If Biltz concurs that the “blood moon” verses take place during the Great Tribulation, then 2015 must occur in the latter part of the Tribulation. What does that indicate for a Pre-Tribulation Rapture? It either took place in 2008 and was a partial Rapture, or it will be a Post-Tribulation Rapture, neither of which is biblical.
If Cahn’s and Biltz’s beliefs were merely a matter of false teachings that are of the faith-wrecking kind among the multitudes of those who buy into their unbiblical assertions, it would be tragic enough. They have, however, become the latest tool of the evangelical fearmongers as they apply their prophetic distortions to alleged soon-coming financial crashes and physical catastrophes worse than any thus experienced on the earth. Their promotional appearances with Jim Bakker, as just one example, would give credibility to the snake oil pitchmen of yesteryear (2 Peter 2:3). After Biltz declares, “I think we have one year to really prepare for what God [has] coming,” Bakker responds, “It’s time to get ready. That’s why God has called me to tell you to store food…you don’t have to order from us to hear the Word of the Lord. But you should have food….What are you gonna do when the stock market crashes?….We have the Morningside recipes….We have the Year of Food for $550 dollars….One of these days it will all be gone. One more event…I’m telling you, if we have a big earthquake on the West Coast or say a volcano going on, or something major, there will not be any food left for months and months….We have…’The Time of Trouble’ offer, and that’s a seven-year food offer, and that’s for a donation of $3,000…[that’s] 7,700 meals.” Biltz adds that what’s ahead is the “Super Bowl of human history and people need to get ready and that’s what I believe these are signs of” (http://jimbakkershow.com/video/mystery-sevens/). Joining the false signs-and-wonders teacher Rodney Howard-Browne for his Celebrate America Conference, Jonathan Cahn told the audience, “The financial collapse of the US dollar may happen on Sunday the 13th of September 2015 corresponding to the 29 of Elul 5775 on the Hebrew calendar, the next shemitah of the 7 year cycle.”
WorldNetDaily devotes numerous pages to selling survival food as well as self-defense and preparedness gear. Thomas Horn, author of Nephilim Stargates, is another distorter of biblical prophecy who claims that the Nephilim have returned and who also sees blood moons as a foreboding of things to come. As CEO of SurvivorMall.com, his website features hundreds of supplies to supposedly help Christians to be prepared for the last days.
What’s wrong with the present conjured-up scenarios that relate to pending catastrophes? Will there be a time of utter devastation that the world hasn’t experienced since Noah’s worldwide flood? Yes. However, it will happen according to God’s chronology and not according to man’s ideas about when it will happen and how to prepare for and survive it. The timeline is given in the Scriptures, beginning with Christ’s returning for His bride (believers in Him) to take them to Heaven prior to the time of Jacob’s trouble, the Great Tribulation, during which God pours out His wrath upon the entire world. Even a cursory reading of what takes place as presented in the Book of Revelation clearly shows the futility and folly of imagined survival tactics. No, survival during the Great Tribulation will be only by God’s miraculous intervention for those who come to Christ during that time period. Prior to the Tribulation, believers are “to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come,” keeping in mind that “God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him” (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9-10).
Our living together with Him involves pleasing Him in every way, and our waiting involves opportunities by His grace to be fruitful and productive with joy as we look for our “blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
TBC
Part one can be found HERE
Jackie Alnor has this article on her facebook page. I pray that it will open the eyes of those who are unaware of all the false teachings that abound.
What Are We Left With?
As emergent apostate McLaren continues his satanic agenda to dismantle the Gospel, and as John Piper promotes Rick Warren, the real question emerges: “What Are We Really Left With?”
by James Jacob Prasch
First Satan raised up ecumenical deceiver Chuck Colson supported by false prophet Pat Roberstson and J. I. Packer to betray the scriptural Gospel compromising with the sacramental one of Roman Catholicism. Then Satan raised up anti-Israel preacher John Stott and Replacement Theology Restorationist Roger Forster to deny that Jesus died to save souls from a permanent conscious hell because they teach none exits. Then Satan raised up Tony Campolo and his son Bart to deny that things Scripture calls “sin” are sin, stating that portions of God’s Word with which they disagree will either be spiritualized away or ignored. Then Satan raised up Mike Bickel’s assortment of predatory perverts, drunks, homosexuals, and mystics — the Kansas City False Prophets who propagated an over-realized eschatology of Kingdom Dominion Theology fueled by failed prophetic predictions. Then Satan raised up Rick Warren to replace God’s peace plan with Rick Warren’s multi-faith one and replace the scriptural kerygma of Gospel presentation with a seeker-friendly one based on the marketing psychology of Peter Drucker, Bill Hybels, Robert Schuller, and New Age mystic Ken Blanchard. Warren’s “Purpose Driven Lie” is not built on biblical theology but on popular psychology which downplays sin. Then Satan raised up Steve Chalk to deny that Jesus died for sin because it would make God a child abuser in his view.
If this were not enough, then Satan deluded the church with counterfeit revivals in Toronto, Pensacola, and Lakeland raising up deceivers like……
*UPDATE*
check out Paul’s new blog
http://iftruthbeknown.wordpress.com/
War on the Saints
Never since the days of the Reformation has there been such pressure upon the true body of Christ. No longer can a man even speak of being a Christian without making some form of doctrinal clarification to define what he means. Protestant Christianity is in an absolute upheaval as the majority of the prominent leaders claiming to represent the true Christian church tend to be liars, cheats or teachers of dubious doctrine.
The Bible itself as God’s infallible Word is bombarded daily by false accusations questioning its credibility, authenticity, accuracy and recently its clarity. ( The argument is that the scripture may be God’s word but who can truly understand what it is saying??)
The Deity of Christ is questioned and rejected in many sectors. The virgin birth of Christ is scoffed at. The doctrine of hell is no longer taught by those embarrassed at its reality. Many reject it altogether. Men claiming to be the restored apostles and prophets are now a dime a dozen and the heretical nonsense that they spew out is not worth a dime. Sin is rarely mentioned and error of judgement is the preferred condition of man before the Holy God. Man has become elevated to the lofty position of lord of the earth and the One enthroned in heaven can do little without the interaction and partnership of his church. The Lord God Almighty can now be addressed as Allah. Many call God Papa or Daddy and their familiarity with the Almighty has bred the inevitable contempt towards His terrifying holiness. Music that stirs the emotions has replaced the actual presence of God by his Holy Spirit. Man for all intents and purposes has been deified for almost every sermon is geared towards how man can become more blessed. Preachers have forsaken the scriptures and become personal coaches using the modern pop psychology of self improvement. The unity of heretical doctrines under the banner of a new age Jesus is the One untouchable golden Cow in today’s modern apostate church. The Pentecostal and charismatic’s have immersed themselves with the New Age movement. The Holy Spirit has been replaced by a deceiving spirit for the most part and very few cry foul!
Many traditional denominations have blessed same sex unions and so have blessed what God deems an abomination. Lev 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Worse in my opinion are the traditional denominations that have remained silent and not delivered a clarion call concerning the righteousness of God and the sanctity of the church. These cowards do more damage in the long run as they string along many misguided saints who are not ready to break fellowship with their traditional church as long as they do not directly approve of what is evil. The fruit of this is an ineffective witness and a snail paced apostasy.
Cowardly pastors should not be in the pulpits today. May the God of scripture judge them for they have done more damage by their people pleasing, world loving silence than the legions of hell who have been unleashed upon the saints.
Papal Rome has all but conquered the reformation. Protestantism has been sold out by such traitors as the Billy Graham association and Chuck Colson’s Evangelicals and Catholics together organisation. Some of the evangelical signatories of that abomination included Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ, Os Guinness of the Trinity Forum, Richard Mouw of Fuller theological Seminary , Mark Noll of Wheaton College , Jim Packer of Regent College, Pat Robertson of Larry Lewis of the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Richard Land of the Christian Life Commission, Jesse Miranda of the Assemblies of God, and John White of Geneva College.
Somewhere between Vatican Two ( 1962 ) and 1994 these so called Christian leaders must have concluded that Rome preaches a gospel of salvation for they agreed that they would cease to attempt to convert the Roman catholic faithful to the true religion of biblical Christianity. They in essence helped seal the fate of the hundreds of millions of Catholics by refusing to preach the truth to them.
In a nutshell the church is at rock bottom. All that can get worse will be the increasing measure of the evil mentioned above. I ought to be weeping but an ugly spin off that the scripture mentions is that the love in my heart has grown cold.
Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. May the Lord soften my own angry heart so that I might pray for the saints rather than prey upon them.
What then can be done or what will the end of this be? Surely the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of hope. Where sin abounds grace also abounds, so says the apostle Paul.
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
There is an abundance of grace for the Saint who grieves at the church’s current state. The rejection, isolation, separation misunderstanding and accusations that become our daily bread are in essence our crown in glory. We are sharing in the sufferings of Christ. As the writer to the Hebrews has well put it.
Hebrews 13:12 -14 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
The Lord Jesus suffered outside the camp and this needs to be our current estate while within the camp apostasy abounds. We in our rejection and isolation are in good company. Currently our pain is the payment for our eternal crown. One that some day by God’s grace we can lay at the feet of our saviour when we see him in his glory. We ought to be rejoicing for we have been found worthy of suffering for His names sake.
It is possible that once again the Lord may decree a final reformation of biblical orthodoxy but if he chooses not to then things will certainly get worse. When Elijah thought that he alone stood against the spiritual whorings of Israel, the Lord informed Him that seven thousand had not bowed the knee to, or kissed the hand of Baal. Biblical Christian you are not alone! Elisha’s servant thought so when the city of Dothan was surrounded. He was wrong!
2 Kings 6:15-17 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
Whatever the future unfolds we must pray for grace to persevere and be a bold witness regardless of the cost. These are days in which the true saints of God will shine like the stars in the universe. The current evil around us is actually making the mediocre flicker of our candle shine like a lighthouse on a moonless night.
There is indeed war being waged against the saints but tell me friend when has there ever not been? As the Psalmist says:
Psalm 149: 5-9 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; 8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.
Have no fear Christian, we win in the end.
by Paul Gowdy
Printed by permission.
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